Large Growth

[Dayle]

Hi All,

I am very worried about one of my ex-battery rescue hens. I got her about three months ago in very poor condition and she had lost most of her feathers. Right from the day I got her she had rattly breathing. However she has been eating, running around and generally being a happy hen up until this morning.

Almost overnight, she has developed a very large growth on her chest, about the size of my palm. I did not notice this yesterday, although it could have been there but smaller, it has appeared very quickly. Her breathing seems worse and she seems to be sneezing/coughing. The lump/growth feels like it is coming from inside her rather than just being near the surface. Her skin over the lump apears red and stretched.


1) What type of bird , age - ex battery hen - almost 2 years old
2) What is the behavior, exactly. - lump appears to bother her, shaking her head - less energy- still seems happy pecking up grass
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? - noticed growth this morning, certainly was not there sunday
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? - no
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. - no
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. - no
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. - yes, appetite seems normal
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. - unknown
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? - none
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? - likely dont have funds for vet. I'll do what i can for her though.

Please Help, I am very fond of her.

 

[terryg]

Could this possibly be an impacted crop? Crops can change shapes and all of a sudden appear quite large. I recently did a necropsy on a hen that died from an impaction. Her symptoms were lethargy and difficulty in breathing the day before she died (she wasn't my hen, but belonged to a friend.) If it's not the crop, it could be cancer. I have seen hens filled with tumors (which they appear to live with for months before succumbing to disease.)

 

[Dayle]

The growth does appear to be over the crop. I am not sure what the term impacted means in this context.

 

[Dayle]

just looked it up.

"Chickens may exhibit a large bulge in the crop area, diminishing weight, isolating themselves from the flock, hunching down or protecting their injury. The bird may also jerk their neck around trying to dislodge the blockage. Additionally, the stuck items in the crop may begin to rot, resulting in a sour smell coming from the chicken’s beak."

Yes that sounds like it could be it

 

[terryg]

In the case of the chicken I did the necropsy on, she had swallowed some garbanzo beans and eaten a lot of long, tough grasses. In the crop they formed a solid, hardened mass that couldn't pass. It's one reason why I caution people to not give their hens grass clippings that the hens might gorge on. If you catch the impacted crop early, it can sometimes be alleviated by massage and feeding yogurt and olive oil to help move things along.

 

[Dayle]

I will go and give that a try.

Thanks.

 

[Dayle]

Ok, I have managed to get some olive oil into her using a syringe. I have given her about 10ml to start with and have put her in my brick shed seperated from the others. I'm wondering if it is the new grain which has triggered it. I bought a bag of some brand I have not had before and started feeding it to them two days ago...

 

[Dayle]

Terry, you are quite literally a life saver! The olive oil and massaging has done the trick and the massive lump of yesterday has disappeared and my hen seems much happier.

I'll be keeping a close eye on her for a few days and will keep her away from the long grass. I'll also feed her layers mash until I am sure things are settled.

Thank you so much!

 

[terryg]

Great news, Dayle. You caught the impaction in time (good to be an observant hen keeper) and you did the right thing. Glad I could help.